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June 25, 2013 Partner Jacques Semmelman Quoted in New York Times on Edward Snowden (NSA Leaks) Case

Litigation partner Jacques Semmelman was quoted in the New York Times on June 25, 2013, in an article titled “Leaker’s Flight Raises Tension Between U.S. and 3 Nations.” The article discusses the international tension that has arisen as a result of Edward Snowden's departure from Hong Kong. The U.S. had requested Hong Kong authorities to arrest Snowden pending a formal request for extradition, in accordance with a procedure set forth in the extradition treaty between the two countries. Hong Kong declined to arrest Snowden, citing deficiencies in the papers submitted by the U.S. in support of the request. Mr. Semmelman, described in the article as an “extradition specialist and a former federal prosecutor,” is quoted as saying that the treaty's requirements for seeking provisional arrest are straightforward, and that it is "inconceivable" that the U.S. had failed to comply with them. Mr. Semmelman also expresses the view that, while the U.S. could have requested Interpol to issue a "red notice" (a form of international arrest warrant) for Snowden, the absence of a red notice likely played no role in Hong Kong's decision not to arrest Snowden.